Persons who may be handicapped or partly disabled or simply liable to an accident or a health problem of a personal nature, frequently live in private residences. Often they are alone. If and when a personal incident occurs, in such a private residence, it may be some time before aid responders hear of the incident. In addition, where the incident happens in a personal residence, the responders frequently have difficulty in identifying the particular residence. This is a particular problem where they have a street number requiring illumination.
Such a private residence may have several rooms, and floor levels.
A partly disabled or handicapped person or simply the elderly or otherwise infirm, may live alone is such a residence. For example, if such a person has a fall or a sudden health problem, they may be unable to reach a telephone. If they do reach a telephone it may be difficult to communicate with a 911 service, or a responder.
Numerous communication systems have been proposed and some even marketed, for such handicapped, or other persons liable to be subject to such an incident.
However such systems were largely dependent on, for example, remote communication by telephone. In most cases these earlier systems have required installation by a skilled trades person. Often they required maintenance, or regular checking to ensure operability. Monthly charges were usually payable to a monitoring company. All of this has limited the use of such systems to a small segment of society.
In cases of an incident requiring assistance, the responders must identify the address of the resident and then find the residence as quickly as possible. Usually in the case of private residences, there will be a front porch and at least one lighting receptacle. An alert light of some kind, on the front porch would greatly assist first responders looking for a particular residence.
One of the principle obstacles to any such alert or alarm system is that in most cases it would require installation by skilled trades. Alterations would be made to the electrical system in the home, at considerable expense. This expense often put them out of the reach of the very persons, ie the handicapped or elderly persons, who had the greatest need for them.
Most homes have an porch exterior light, on the front, near the front door.
Normally the homeowner would switch this porch light on only when a visitor was expected. Otherwise it was switched off in most cases. Ideally any alert light system will make use of the existing porch light fittings, so as to avoid the need for a tradesman. However if the porch light incandescent bulb was simply replaced by some form of remotely activated alert light bulb, then the porch light was no longer available for lighting the front door for visitors. If the alert light system requires main voltage power, then the porch light switch would have to left on day and night. It is therefore desirable to provide a personally installable alert light system which can be used in conjunction with the existing porch light fixture on the front of the house, and which provides both for the optional switching on or off of the porch light, and also provides for supplying power day and night to the alert light system.
In a preferred case the switching on or off of the porch light effect will be automatic, responding to a photo sensor in the alert light.
Such a system should preferably be available for personal installation, by the resident or a relative, without the need for professional help.
If possible such a system would also provide for communication to first responders, such as fire services, paramedics and possibly police, or even relatives.
All of this should be available as a kit, ready to be personally installed by the purchaser, or a relative, without professional help.
Where possible the system will also provide for a signal to be sent to the responders giving the GPS co-ordinates of the residence. This will still further facilitate the directions to the responders and bring aid quickly to the resident. This can be sent via satellite signals. The system should also desirably provide a remotely operable door lock. In this way the signal from the remote, which activates the alert light, and which alerts the location to responders, will also open the lock. In this way the responders can enter the residence without the need for damaging the door.
Ideally it should be operable without reliance on an outside monitoring service, and payment of monthly fees.
Other forms of emergency in a residence can also be a danger to a resident, or a danger to others. Such emergencies include a fire, whether the resident is present or not, and also possibly flood due to burst pipes. Preferably, the home emergency light system will also respond to such hazards as fires, flooding and the like, whether the resident is there or not. Such emergency warning systems will greatly assist responders, or even neighbours, in dealing with the emergency.